Spanish Oranges, the debut play by novelist Alba Arikha, offers a compelling exploration of a famous actor's downfall following a sex scandal and the ensuing impact on his family. The play, currently showing at The Playground Theatre in London until 7 March, delves into how women endure toxic relationships until the truth becomes unbearable.
The story centres on Fiona, a novelist on the brink of fame, whose success threatens to overshadow her husband Peter, a “famous actor” whose career collapses amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour, including threatening her. The tension escalates during a newspaper interview with a critic from The Times, which becomes a battleground between secrecy and candour. Arikha introduces a surprising plot twist that detonates emotional bombs with both comic and shock effect.
Jay Villiers delivers a superb performance as Peter, capturing his character's shiftiness and intensity, veering from thunderous threats to wheedling neediness. Maryam D’Abo, known for her role as a Bond girl in The Living Daylights, portrays Fiona with nuance, effectively depicting both victim and victor in domestic warfare. The couple's daughter, played by Arianna Branca—the playwright's daughter—makes a confident stage debut, offering a breath of fresh air amid the degeneracy.
The play examines how shame and secrecy infect the family, with the daughter returning home to witness the fallout of her parents' distrustful behaviour. Arikha's taut dialogue draws comparisons to classics like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Scenes from a Marriage, dissecting dysfunctional family relationships and the lingering effects of the past. The title references Fiona's inspiration for her novel, sparked by an Uber driver's dream to see oranges grow in Seville—a delightful aspiration amid much bad behaviour.
